Crafters Wanted for WordCast Craft Blogging Month

As a crafter myself, playing with thread, yarn, and fabric as well as wood and whatever I can get my hands on, I’m excited to be sharing the stories of other crafts about how they use the social web to tell their story, sell their handmade products, and connect with others.

We’ll be featuring professional and hobby crafters sharing tips and techniques on how they present their crafts online, from video tutorials to step-by-step instructions, pdf pattern files, and ebooks.

Some craft stores have volunteered to share their tips on how they connect with customers around the world in an industry that used to only serve local neighborhoods.

We’ll be looking at some of the fantastic craft communities around the web, some with thousands of members sharing their passion for their craft.

We’ve found podcasts, both audio and video, on knitting, sewing, arts and crafts, the business of crafts and handmade things, rubber stamping, scrapbooking…I never thought I’d find a podcast on some of these subjects!

We’ll have tips for crafters and craft businesses on why blog, how to get a blog started, how to integrate a blog into their store site, community building tips, and how to make Facebook, Twitter, and other social web services work for them, connecting to their customers and fans, and to even more beyond.

I love nothing better than the gift of a handmade item. This wooden purse made by my best friend's daughter just for me.

If you are a crafty blogger or fan of a craft online community, WordCast is looking for your stories, tips, techniques, and advice. If you are a craft professional, we are looking for your advice on how you use the social web to reach your customers.

If you are in the Washington State area March 3-6, 2011, register now for one of the two sessions on “Simple Social Media for Crafters” with Tammie Bowser of Mosaic Quilt Studio and Software and myself at Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, Washington, on Friday and Sunday, both from 8:30-9:15 am. These typically sell out, so register as soon as possible to guarantee a seat. We’ve be sharing a lot of our own expertise as well as what we’ve learned from the WordCast Craft Blogging Month.

Full Crafty Disclosure

While I was creative growing up, photographing, writing, singing, collecting, acting, making marbled paper, and playing with paper and textiles in general, when my husband and I hit the road full-time in our trailer in 1996, I decided I would try a variety of hobbies to see which one most appealed to me. I would try each one for six months, giving it a full trial. I had learned recently how to tat, a 17th century lace making technique, from my husband’s grandmother, so it was natural to want to do more than make doilies. I learned how to quilt to put tatting on quilts. That lead to sewing clothes, clay and pottery, cooking, crochet, knitting, scrapbooking, doll making, and much more.

Some day I hope to create a craft blog where I can share all the cool things I’ve made over the years, though I tend to give them away as soon as they are done. Along the way, I’m thrilled to be helping crafters learn more about web publishing, writing, and the social web.

Until I have my own craft blog, I’m going to show off some of my handmade goodies. Forgive the indulgence.

21 Comments

LOVE the lavendar wands. Never thought to do that. Every year at a rug camp in Michigan one of my students gives me a bundle of lavendar. A wonderful gift, but I never know what to do with it. Now I know.

Look like you tried everything except rug hooking. I have the same past. Once I found rug hooking, it satisfied everything. I do a little knitting in the fall, but for the last decade I focus on only rug hooking . . . and WordPress.

You have done some beautiful tatting, Lorelle! I have wanted to learn how to tat for ages. I love the look of tatting. I have wanted to use to to trim hankies (I know pretty old-fashioned), receiving blankets, napkins, coasters, and clothing. The lavender wands are so unique. They would be fun to make, too. Thank you for sharing. :)
~Janis

Although knitters and other fiber people have been networking online for more than a decade, Craft Blogging Month would not be complete without an interview with the Ravelry crew! Ravelry started in 2007 and has over 1,000,000 members. What a great community they’ve created for fiber folk.

Lorrelle, BEAUTIFUL stuff! My hat off to you. You are a sister of my spirit…!
I am very interested to see where this is going. I have only recently started my own Go Daddy blog (blog.artfulperspectives.com)but think I might switch to wordpress. I also recently started a teeny business with another artist and am desperately trying to figure out how to connect with other artists/crafters who, like me, are attempting to sell unusual art/crafts in a tough economy. Not adept at tech stuff (my age is showing) so I’m way behind the curve, but I’m all ears (or eyes!)and awaiting the wisdom of those who came before me. :~}

@Louise: I’m excited about those wanting to share as well, but you know, you have a perspective on this worth sharing as well. You are still new at this, so you have a unique view that might help people just getting started handled how this online crafting stuff works. Why not contribute, too?

One thing I would definitely like to explore with others is the concept of local art/craft cooperatives – i.e., creating a larger, more visible venue for those with unique offerings who for whatever reason are unable (or simply not wanting) to produce enough to warrant a full-blown business. With enough talent, sales could not only benefit the individual artist/crafter, but could support classes or community education in all those areas of expertise. (A crafter’s dream) Not necessarily a non-profit, but a for-profit with strong community connections. Win–Win.

Thanks for promoting crafts in the blogging world, Lorelle! I have a scrapbooking blog, I sell SB products as a consultant, and I’m about to add selling products under my own business. So while I’m not selling handcrafted items myself, I support all of you who do and look forward to seeing where this month takes you … fun!
~Erika

Looks like you have some things to add to the conversation, Erika. You’ve been doing this for a few years, on WordPress.com which makes your blogging style unique for many setting products and working within the limitations of WordPress.com. Would you be interested in writing up an article about that for our series?

There are plenty of craft websites on WordPress – come on in and join us!
Tag surfing helps A LOT, and the Subscriptions feature makes it easy to keep up with your new contacts. We share tips and links and inspiration as well as photoblogging our creations and promoting our forthcoming events, even if many visitors to my blog are on another continent.
P.S. Yes, it helps if you can stick to just one craft :-)

If you are using WordPress, it is already active with some dummy text. If you are using something else, you will have to figure out how to add a pseudo-static page to your site and get the link where you want it. It looks like you might be on Blogger or using a template design, which can be restrictive. Your Know Me page is your about page, so I’m also not clear about what you are asking.

I like your idea. I am a painter and a web developer and I recently picked up sculpting in wood. I would love to blog about it and post video’s on youtube. I just can’t find the time as yet. Maybe I should just start and not think about it to much. Thanks for sharing your idea’s.

Thanks, Jennifer. Just do a search for Craft Month. A lot of them are under Blogging Guides. We’ll be compiling the list of all the posts in a few days, and we’ve more coming out over the next week or so, with a big surprise next week. It’s been a lot of work but a lot of fun.

Hi all! I did not write anything specific regarding crafting, but I have blogged about starting the creative process. It is easy for some, really difficult for others. Along with crafting ideas, we need to talk about how to inspire those who think they don’t have a creative bone in their bodies. I hear that lament all the time, but I truly and honestly believe everyone has the seed in their soul for creativity. They just have to find the very project/activity/thing that makes their spirit sing…

If everyone who is at ease with creative endeavors helped someone who struggles with finding their crafting bliss, we would instantly double the creative energy in the world. What a wonderful prospect! :~>

What a great thing to have done. I wish I had seen it earlier. Just read it today on the feed from 9Rules. Reposted to Twitter but kind of late. I’m not a craft blogger but I spend enough time looking at them for one thing or another. I link to them when I find something I especially like.